Senior Software Engineer - (Java) - Canva AI - (Open to remote across ANZ)

Location: Team Engineering

Team: Country Melbourne / Australia

About the Role

Join Canva's AI Group, where we're redefining how 150M+ global users create stunning designs through intuitive conversational AI. As a Senior Software Engineer (Java), you'll build the robust backend platform powering Canva AI's core experiences—from effortless content generation (designs, documents, images) to insightful Q&A and brainstorming. Our vision is to make AI-powered creativity accessible to everyone, and your work will enable seamless integrations for internal teams and external partners alike. Based in our innovative Melbourne/Sydney hubs or remote across ANZ, you'll thrive in Canva's collaborative, design-obsessed culture that celebrates bold ideas and user-first innovation. In this high-impact role, you'll be hands-on writing critical Java code while architecting scalable systems that handle massive scale. Lead strategic platform decisions, mentor engineers on best practices, and proactively solve pain points to minimize developer friction. With a product-minded approach, you'll wear multiple hats—collaborating cross-functionally to ensure Canva AI evolves with real user needs while staying ahead of rapidly advancing AI technologies like LLMs and fine-tuning techniques. Your bias for action and deep ownership will drive end-to-end delivery of features that shape Canva's future as the world's leading visual communication platform. At Canva, you'll gain unparalleled experience building revolutionary AI products at scale, expand your expertise across diverse technologies, and embed yourself in our vibrant engineering culture. We value calculated risks, continuous learning, and collaborative problem-solving in service of delightful user experiences. If you're a forward-thinking backend leader passionate about AI and design, join us to empower creativity worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Hands-on implementation of critical path Java code for Canva AI platform features
• Drive complex backend projects from ideation through production deployment
• Design scalable architecture enabling seamless integrations for internal teams and partners
• Collaborate with product, design, and engineering teams to evolve Canva AI capabilities
• Mentor backend engineers, establishing best practices and reducing technical debt
• Act as technical thought leader, proactively identifying and solving platform challenges
• Work with stakeholders wearing your PM hat to align platform with user and developer needs
• Optimize system reliability, performance, and scalability for 150M+ global users
• Stay ahead of AI industry trends, adopting innovative technologies to platform roadmap
• Conduct code reviews, architecture discussions, and technical strategy sessions
• Build intuitive conversational AI experiences powering design, documents, and Q&A

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience with strong expertise in Java backend development
• Proven track record of building scalable, high-performance backend platforms serving millions of users
• Deep experience with designing and implementing APIs, microservices, and integration platforms
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML systems, large language models, or related technologies
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects from inception to production
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, reliability, and performance optimization
• Experience mentoring junior engineers and driving engineering best practices
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with AI platforms, fine-tuning LLMs, or evaluation methodologies
• Familiarity with Canva's tech stack or similar design/visual communication platforms
• Previous work in platform engineering enabling third-party integrations
• Contributions to open-source projects or AI-related technologies
• Experience in product-minded engineering with cross-functional stakeholder collaboration

Required Skills

• Expert-level Java development and Spring Boot framework
• API design (REST/GraphQL) and microservices architecture
• Distributed systems and cloud platforms (AWS/GCP)
• Database design (SQL/NoSQL) and caching strategies (Redis)
• Performance optimization and monitoring (Prometheus/Grafana)
• Containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
• AI/ML integration, LLMs, and prompt engineering
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
• Product-minded engineering and stakeholder collaboration
• Technical leadership and mentorship
• Bias for action with calculated risk-taking
• End-to-end ownership of ambiguous projects
• Excellent communication and cross-functional teamwork
• Passion for design tools and visual communication
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code

Benefits

• Flexible work options - hybrid, remote across ANZ, or office in Sydney/Melbourne
• Canva+ healthcare coverage including medical, dental, and mental health support
• Generous parental leave and family-friendly policies
• Learning stipend for courses, conferences, and professional development
• Canva for Teams subscription plus design swag and creative perks
• Weekly fresh fruit, snacks, and team social events
• Annual company retreats and global team offsites
• Stock options and performance bonuses
• 4 additional Canva Days off per year plus birthday leave

Canva is an equal opportunity employer.